Re: [RFC/PATCH 0/7] Rework git core for native submodules

From: Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>
Date: Apr 4, 2013, 18:47 UTC
Message-ID: <20130404184730.GL30308@google.com>
In-Reply-To: <1365100243-13676-1-git-send-email-artagnon@gmail.com>

Ramkumar Ramachandra wrote:

> The purpose of this series is to convince you that we've made a lot of
> fundamental mistakes while designing submodules, and that we should
> fix them now.  [1/7] argues for a new object type, and this is the
> core of the idea.

Oh, dear.

Shouldn't it be possible to explain the same thing using a test script illustrating intended UI?

[...]

>     $ git clone gh:artagnon/varlog
>     $ cd varlog
>     $ git clone gh:artagnon/clayoven
>     # Notice how it puts clayoven.git in ~/bare

I really would like to be able to continue doing something like

	git clone --recurse-submodules git://repo.or.cz/cgit.git
	# never mind!
	rm -fr cgit

without leaving any clutter behind. I have used systems that kept state in my home directory before and found them a pain in the neck to debug. Others may disagree, though.

[...]

>     # Again, just works!  No cd-to-toplevel nonsense

Didn't Jens mention that git-submodule requiring that one work at the toplevel is just a (presumably easily fixable) bug?

[...]

> If you think this is all a big waste of time, and that we should focus
> on improving git-submodule.sh, you're probably deranged.  Because it's

I don't think that *you* should focus on improving git-submodule, as long as you are not using it and dislike its design. But I do think it's strange to at the same time

 1) tell me I'm deranged for liking submodules
 2) dismiss other experiments that have been created as alternatives

I like experimentation, which means sometimes having tools whose purposes overlap, and I like when it's possible to help something evolve to be better, even far enough to interoperate with or replace uses of another tool.

I also believe in "live and let live". That means that even if someone is a little crazy, if they are not actively harmful, I do not destroy their tools.

That probably marks me as deranged.

Hope that helps, Jonathan